What you need to know before you vote in Bloomington's primary election

Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times
·4 min read
Voters make their selections while voting at Bloomington High School South on Tuesday, Nov.. 8, 2022.
Voters make their selections while voting at Bloomington High School South on Tuesday, Nov.. 8, 2022.

UPDATED: This story has been updated to reflect developments in District 6.

Bloomington residents will get to pick a new mayor this year and weigh in on the composition of the city council, which will undergo a significant reshuffling.

Given that the Democratic Party dominates Bloomington politics — only one Republican has filed for any of the nine offices — the eventual office holders will be chosen in most — if not all — cases in the primary election in May. Early voting begins April 4, and primary election day is May 2. You can vote that day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Election preview: Mayoral candidates on annexation, housing and unhoused people

Here are six more things you need to know about the primary election.

Who's running for Bloomington mayor?

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton is not seeking re-election. Three Democrats are vying for the Democratic nomination. Donald Griffin Jr. is a real estate agent and former deputy mayor under Hamilton. Susan Sandberg is a current city council member. Kerry Thomson is the former CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County.

If you want to find out where the mayoral candidates stand on housing, annexation and other matters of importance, read the candidates' answers to the The Herald-Times's questionnaire here: tinyurl.com/8ypnm7a3.

The latest: Former IU employee alleged age discrimination under mayoral hopeful Kerry Thomson

Who is running for Bloomington City Council? What's my district?

Voters across the city also will get to choose city council members. Three council members will be chosen by all voters, and six council members will be chosen only by the voters in geographic districts.

The district boundaries were redrawn last year. The rough geographical areas for the districts are northwest, southwest, southeast, northeast, north central and south central. You can find out in which district you live by consulting the map at this link: tinyurl.com/5n8szcm7.

The Herald-Times sent a candidate questionnaire to all city council candidates. You can learn more about candidates' priorities, housing and public safety at the following links:

District 1 (southwest) Isabel Piedmont-Smith v. Joe Lee: tinyurl.com/39kwtdvw

District 2 (northwest) Sue Sgambelluri v. Kate Rosenbarger: tinyurl.com/yjrs5teu

District 3 (northeast) Ron Smith v. Hopi Stosberg v. Conner Wright: tinyurl.com/yrmfcp3d

District 5 (southeast) Shruti Rana v. Jenny Stevens: tinyurl.com/yckyufm8

One race is a dud, another is a mess

The race in District 4, in south central Bloomington, isn’t one, as only the Democratic incumbent, Dave Rollo, is running.

The race in District 6, in north central Bloomington, is a mess. Of the two Indiana University students who declared their candidacy for the Democratic nomination, one withdrew early, and his name is not on the ballot. The name of the second candidate, David Wolfe Bender, is on the ballot, but he is being investigated by the local election board for possible election fraud.

Bill Ellis, vice chairman of the local Republicans, filed a complaint with the board to question Bender's eligibility, based on reporting by the Indiana Daily Student, where Bender formerly worked. After the election board found substantial evidence of wrongdoing, Bender, through an attorney, sent a letter to the board in March to say he plans to withdraw from the race. However, he switched attorneys and in April wrote a letter to the board to say he had changed his mind about withdrawing and now plans to stay in the race.

The election board's investigation is ongoing. The board plans to hold a hearing on the matter before determining whether to forward the findings to law enforcement.

More: Surprise: IU student accused of election fraud changes mind, will stay in council race

What is an at-large city council seat?

Voters also will get to pick three at-large members of the city council, who represent all of the city’s residents and are chosen by all voters in the city. Seven at-large candidates, including two current council members and a former council member, are vying for the three spots. Each voter will get to pick up to three candidates from the slate of seven.

You can learn more about the candidates and read their answers to an HT questionnaire here: tinyurl.com/mr45yffv.

Election preview: City council at-large hopefuls discuss child care, climate action

What will my ballot look like?

Sample ballot for the Democratic Party primary in the 2023 Bloomington city election. Note: The sample ballot is for residents of District 2. Voters in other Districts will have a different district race at the bottom of their ballot.
Sample ballot for the Democratic Party primary in the 2023 Bloomington city election. Note: The sample ballot is for residents of District 2. Voters in other Districts will have a different district race at the bottom of their ballot.

You will get to weigh in on four offices: Mayor, your district-specific council member, the at-large council members, and city clerk, another race where only the incumbent, Nicole Bolden, is running.

Where can I follow Bloomington city election results?

The HT will have a live blog on election day to keep you up to date with election results.

Where can I find out more about the Bloomington city primary election?

For polling places, sample ballots and other voting information, you can call Monroe County Government Election Central, at 812-349-2690, or visit monroecountyvoters.us.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What you need to know before voting in Bloomington's primary election.